First Lady Out, Your Majesty In

"Why should I agree to that?" Allison jerked away from his hand as he tried to take hers, anger burning through her voice. "Just because Hollie is pregnant, you think she has the right to take my husband away from me? Did I force her to get pregnant?" Her hand pressed against her stomach as pain spread through her body. "She made that choice herself. Now, you expect me to deal with the consequences for her? Do you really think I'll just accept that?" For a moment, Nolan was stunned. Then, fury rose within him. His mother and grandmother had been right. Allison was nothing more than an orphan. She was short-sighted and naive, and she could never grasp the seriousness of the current situation. Still, Nolan held back his temper and tried to speak calmly. "Two lives are involved in this matter. The Reid family and the Pearson family have been close for generations. To my parents, Hollie has always been like family. Now that she's in this situation, we can't just stand by and watch." He reached for Allison's hand again and held it. The moment his fingers touched hers, he noticed how cold her hand felt. Without thinking, he tightened his hold. "I know I haven't given you much attention since we got married because of my work. But that was never my intention. Allison, you have to trust me. My marriage to Hollie will only exist in name. I won't touch her. Not even once. I just can't let—" A bitter laugh escaped Allison, cutting him off. "You should feel ashamed of yourself, Nolan," she said. "Since the day we got married, you haven't touched me, either. So tell me something; does that mean our marriage has also been nothing more than a formality?" Nolan fell silent at that. During their first year of marriage, the presidential campaign had consumed all his time. He had been exhausted and had no interest in intimacy. By the second year, he had already taken office. Endless responsibilities filled his days, and he never found the time for that. This year, things had finally begun to calm down, but then, his grandfather suddenly passed away, and not long after that, his father suffered a stroke brought on by stress. His entire family fell into grief, and he suddenly carried even more responsibility on his shoulders. Allison let out a silent scoff. Over the past three years, she had seen every struggle he faced, and she had always chosen to be understanding. Yet she had never imagined that the distance between them existed because of Hollie. Her attitude made Nolan feel uneasy. He said, "I know you've been through a lot during these three years..." "So you do know that I've been waiting for you for three years?" Allison replied. "Three full years, Nolan. You promised me a wedding, but instead of that, all I got were divorce papers." Pain tightened around her chest. "Do you still remember what you promised me when we got married?" Before they got married, Nolan had only been an ignored member within the Reid family. During those difficult years, Allison had stood beside him and supported him. She even worried that his pride might suffer, so she secretly helped him under the name "Sage X." Using everything she had, she pushed him forward until he reached the presidency and became the pride of the Reid family. And now that he held that position, he wanted to remove her from the presidential residence and give Hollie the title of the First Lady? She could not understand it. Had everything she had given him meant nothing? "I..." Nolan hesitated. Of course he remembered the promise he had made that day. He had sworn to protect her for the rest of his life, through sickness and health, and never leave her side. But the situation now was special. If he refused to marry Hollie, then both she and the child might not survive. After drawing a slow breath, Nolan pulled Allison into his arms and tried to comfort her, saying, "Allison, I haven't forgotten what I promised you. That will not change. But right now, I have to protect Hollie and the child. That is my responsibility. I will make it up to you in the future. We still have the rest of our lives ahead of us." Allison shoved against him with all the strength she had, yet Nolan didn't move. With no other option left, she lifted her foot and stomped down hard on one of his leather shoes. A pained grunt escaped Nolan, and he finally released her. "Allison!" When he looked at her, he saw that her eyes were filled with disappointment as tears gathered within them. "Do you actually believe that coming back to me in the future counts as compensation, or that it's some kind of favor?" Allison asked. "Why would I ever want a man who has been married twice?" Nolan's jaw tightened as irritation surfaced. "Take a look at yourself now. Do you have any grace and dignity as the First Lady?" The tears Allison had been holding back finally spilled down her face. "You say that to me, but have you even declared to the public that I am the First Lady?" Not only had he never acknowledged her as the First Lady to the public, but even inside the presidential residence, he also introduced her as nothing more than his personal secretary. Because of that, people inside the residence all believed they could treat her however they pleased. "Allison, I—" Nolan started to say something in response, but his phone suddenly rang. The ringtone made it clear who was calling. He had assigned that sound only to the Reid family. Allison immediately knew it was Diane Reid, Nolan's mother, on the other end of the line. "What did you say? Hollie tried to slit her wrists again?" Nolan's face was filled with genuine concern—far more earnest than when he had asked earlier if Allison was feeling unwell. "Alright, I understand. I'll go there right now. Stay calm." The moment he ended the call, Allison felt her heart turn cold. How foolish she had been before. For the past three months, every time Nolan hurried back to the Reid family estate, she had believed he was going there to look after his father after the stroke. Now, the truth stood clear. All that time, he had been by Hollie's side. "Allison, stop being difficult like this," Nolan said. "I'm not asking for your agreement." He was only informing her of the matter. Whether she agreed or not, she had to sign the divorce papers. Allison wiped the tears from her face and looked directly at him with swollen eyes. "This divorce will mean we're finished for good. Once I sign, I'm done with you! Do you still want me to sign the divorce papers?"